Veer Savarkar mooted two-nation theory: Digvijay Singh

New Delhi, Jan 27 (PTI) After the ''Sanghi terrorism''issue, Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh today soughtto stir a fresh controversy alleging that freedom fighter VeerSavarkar was the first to moot the two-nation theory that ledto partition.

"It was Veer Savarkar who first mooted the idea of atwo-nation theory which was later adopted by Muhammad AliJinnah," Singh told reporters here.

He said he had made these remarks at a book launchfunction at the India Islamic Cultural Centre.

Singh said he was trying to make a point that extremecommunal ideologies create a divide.

His contention was that Veer Savarkar was a non-believerwho also coined the word Hindutva. He pointed out that Jinnah,the founder of Pakistan, was also a non-believer.

"All extreme ideological people are non-believers. A goodHindu or a good Muslim is always a believer," he said.

The BJP and the Sangh Parivar have always held thatJinnah was the proponent of the two-nation theory whicheventually led to the creation of Pakistan.

However, followers of Savarkar contend that Sir MuhammadIqbal, after becoming the Muslim League President in 1930, hadfor the first time publicly demanded an "independent,sovereign Muslim state."

Singh, a known detractor of the BJP and the Sanghparivar, also attacked the opposition party over the issue ofthe hoisting national tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar.

"These people only want to hoist the flag at contentiousplaces like the Lal Chowk and Idgah in Hubli. They only wantto create disturbance," he said.

"They (BJP) would like to hoist the flag or construct atemple only where there is dispute. Why do they not hoist thetricolour at the RSS Headquarters?" Singh said.

The AICC General Secretary also attacked senior BJPleader L K Advani for his criticism of the government on theissue of black money.

"What efforts he (Advani) made to bring back the blackmoney from foreign banks during his tenure as Deputy PrimeMinister of the country," he asked.

Singh, who is the AICC incharge for Uttar Pradesh alsotook a dig at Mayawati government in the state over the issueof law and order.

"How can law and order improve in a state when money istaken for appointing and transferring police officers," Singhsaid.